The Herbal Joss Stick Community

The Herbal Joss Stick Community is a small community enterprise in Bang Nam Phueng, Phra Pradaeng district — part of Bang Kachao, the loop of green space across the Chao Phraya from central Bangkok known locally as the city’s “green lung.” On about 2 rai of shaded grounds, the group runs weekend workshops teaching visitors to hand-roll herbal joss sticks using natural, insect-repelling ingredients like lemongrass, bay leaf, and kaffir lime, alongside a tie-dye batik fabric session. It’s open Saturday and Sunday only, 09:00-15:00, and each activity costs around 60-70 THB per person.

Walking the grounds costs nothing — there are seating corners under the trees if you want to look around before deciding whether to join a session. The workshops themselves are hands-on rather than a demonstration to watch from the sidelines: staff walk visitors through blending the herbal mixture and rolling it onto a stick by hand, or through the tie-dye process for fabric. Because this is a small operation rather than a tourist-scale attraction, the pace is informal and the group size stays manageable.

Watch out: This isn’t open daily — the workshop runs Saturday and Sunday only, from 09:00 to 15:00. Turning up on a weekday means an empty gate.

Insider Tip: Combine it with the rest of a Bang Kachao cycling loop — Khung Bang Kachao covers the wider green-lung peninsula, and bikes can typically be arranged locally for the ride between stops rather than driving between each one.

Group bookings need roughly a day’s advance notice by phone (0 2815 0729) so the community can prepare enough herbs, dye, and staff time for the session. Individual visitors and small groups can generally turn up during open hours without pre-booking, though calling ahead is still the safer bet on a busy weekend.

Bang Namphueng Floating Market is in the same subdistrict for a food stop before or after, and the Samut Prakan destination guide covers the rest of Bang Kachao and the wider province.